JMU roundup: Dukes push men’s tennis winning streak to four

HARRISONBURG — James Madison University’s men’s tennis swept all nine matches of the day, including a 3-0 showing in doubles action, en route to a 7-0 victory over Hampton at Hillside Courts on Thursday afternoon.

JMU is on a four-match win-streak and sits at 8-8 overall and 2-2 in Colonial Athletic Association action while Hampton sits at 2-11 overall and 1-1 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play.

A 1-0 lead for the Dukes came courtesy of a 3-0 showing in doubles, beginning when junior Robert Stirling and sophomore Brett Moorhead dispatched Peter Odegbami and Fedor Shirin 8-1 at the No. 2 position.

Sophomores Sebastian Salinas and Miljan Ruzic clinched the point for JMU when they came from behind to win 8-6 over Luke Thompson and Miguel Suarez at No. 1 doubles. The Pirates won the first four games before the Dukes picked up four of the next five to tie the match at 5-all. After the pairs traded wins in the next two games, the Dukes earned the final two game wins to take the match.

Salinas opened singles action with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Thompson at No. 1 singles, and Stirling quickly followed with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Odegbami at No. 2 singles to push JMU to a 3-0 lead.

Branth secured match point for the Dukes in two sets over Satchithananthan at No. 4 singles. After holding his opponent scoreless in the first set (6-0), Branth battled to a 7-6 (2) tiebreaker triumph in the second set.

Ruzic and Moorhead tallied back-to-back wins over the Pirates to push the JMU lead to 6-0. At No. 5 singles, Ruzic dropped McQueen in two sets (6-4, 6-2), and Moorhead rolled over Suarez in two sets (6-3, 6-2) at No. 3 singles.

Freshman Stephen Goldman finished off the 7-0 victory with a three-set win over Shirin at No. 6 singles. After falling to the Pirate 6-4 in set one, Goldman posted straight 6-1 victories in sets two and three to complete the comeback.

The Dukes wrap up regular-season conference action on Saturday as they welcome College of Charleston to Hillside Courts at noon.